The pudding at my lips suddenly lost its flavor. The cheerful atmosphere around the table froze, and everyone’s smiles turned stiff.

　　After the strange woman at the door said those shocking words, my boyfriend, Brian Johnson, instinctively slammed the door shut. The iron door clanged loudly in the hallway, startling everyone. My mom quickly patted my stomach to calm me down.

　　Seeing Brian, usually so composed, now pale and flustered, my anger began to simmer, ready to ignite like gasoline thrown on a tiny flame.

　　“Brian, who is that woman?” Brian’s mom, Ruth Johnson, broke the silence first, glancing at my face.

　　Outside, the woman started banging on the door, shouting, “Brian, didn’t you say you were going to break up with that boring woman? Why is she in your house?”

　　I bit my lip and kept quiet, not wanting to embarrass my parents.

　　“No... I didn’t! Mollie, stop making things up!” Brian yelled.

　　The woman outside, who was also carrying Brian’s child, was Mollie Baker.

　　So, it was her.

　　Brian and I had been together for seven years, since our first year of college. Now, we had been working for three years.

　　He had his own team and had been promoted to supervisor. With my hard work and determination, I became an operations director at a major tech company, earning tens of thousands a month.

　　Of course, I knew that our success was partly due to my dad. He still holds the national lottery winning record of $69 million.

　　Seizing the opportunities of the times, his investments thrived, and our family’s wealth multiplied several times over. He had also invested in the projects at my company.

　　But Brian was unaware of this. My family didn’t want him to find out so soon.

　　After all, my dad had said he hoped I would find a man who genuinely loved me, not someone who was after our wealth.

　　Back in our first year of college, I got my period during gym class, staining my pants dark red.

　　Brian took off his jacket and tied it around my waist to cover the stain. As a result, he was punished by the teacher to run twenty laps, ending up in the hospital afterward.

　　At the following party, Brian confessed his feelings to me.

　　He was tall and handsome, standing out among the boys in our class. My face burned with embarrassment, and under the teasing of my classmates, I agreed to date him, thinking I’d give it a try. That try lasted seven years.

　　Brian remained consistently gentle and devoted, his eyes only for me. He turned down countless women who showed interest in him.

　　Ever since, younger students would try to replicate our romance in gym class.

　　The woman outside, shouting about being pregnant with Brian’s child, was one of those younger students.

　　Mollie had an exuberant personality. Her liking for Brian was no secret, even after knowing he was dating me.

　　I had seen her several times. Even in my presence, she would bring Brian breakfast, small gifts, and hot coffee in the winter.

　　She had liked Brian for six years. Tell me, what man wouldn’t be swayed by a beautiful, lively, and persistent girl chasing him for six years? But Brian wasn’t.

　　Whenever we talked about her, Brian would become irritated and avoid the topic. Each time, that reassured me a bit.

　　Now, Brian’s evasive eyes and stiff movements told me something had changed.

　　I put down the tasteless pudding and quietly watched him. “Brian, aren’t you going to explain?”

　　When Brian stayed silent, Ruth slammed the table and shouted, “Well, say something!”

　　I took Ruth’s hand and patted it gently, calming her down a bit.

　　Thinking about the baby inside me, I took a deep breath and walked up to Brian. “Brian, what’s going on? What’s Mollie talking about?”

　　Brian looked down, briefly meeting my eyes before looking away again. His voice was hoarse. “Elaine, I’m sorry.”

　　When I didn’t respond, he reached for my hand. It was the same gesture as before, but now it made me feel sick.

　　I kept my expression calm, but I used all my strength to pull my hand away from his.

　　Brian looked at me, surprised. “Elaine, you...”

　　I stared into his eyes. They used to be like clear lakes, always reflecting me. I knew he loved me because I could see myself in his eyes.

　　But now, standing here, looking into those familiar eyes, all I saw was emptiness.

　　Brian seemed like he was standing in deep water, and I couldn’t see through him anymore. I couldn’t tell if he still loved me or if he loved the woman outside.

　　“Brian, answer me two questions. Is the baby Mollie’s carrying yours? And if it is, when did this happen?” My tone was calm and sincere.

　　After all, we were adults, and with our families here, it was best to be honest and clear.

　　Whether the news was good or bad, we would have to face it and move on.

　　Brian clenched his fists.

　　Behind him, his parents, Eric and Ruth, were urging him to speak.

　　Brian’s voice was so low it didn’t sound like him. “Mollie’s baby is mine. It happened...”

　　He stepped past me and gulped down a full glass of water, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

　　He wiped his mouth and chin before speaking again. “She got pregnant three months ago, maybe two.”

　　So they had done it, and more than once.

　　I nearly collapsed, but I leaned against the bookshelf, so no one noticed.

　　“You jerk! Brian, you have no shame!” My dad jumped up from his chair, the screech of it against the marble floor piercing.

　　My mom, always gentle, rushed to my side and hugged me. “Elaine, let’s go home. You don’t need to put up with this!”

　　I felt my whole body trembling more and more, a chill spreading from the ground and from Brian’s direction.

　　There was chaos behind me. Eric was trying to calm my parents.

　　Brian seemed to make up his mind and walked over to me, trying to hug me. I instinctively stepped away.

　　He sounded determined, but his words were almost laughable. “Elaine, I love you, and I will marry you. But Mollie’s baby is mine, too. Can you...”

　　At that moment, my mom screamed, “Elaine, your dad passed out! Call an ambulance!”

　　When the ambulance arrived to take my dad, I followed the paramedics out.

　　Mollie was sitting in the hallway, eating. She didn’t seem surprised at all when she saw us, as if everything was going according to her plan. She ate the same pudding I had been eating earlier, rubbing her belly in a mocking gesture.

　　As the elevator doors closed, I heard Eric’s furious shout, “Get her out of here!” followed by Brian’s pleading voice, “Dad, she’s carrying my baby...”

　　She’s carrying your baby. What about the baby I’m carrying, Brian? Isn’t it yours too?

　　Brian, it took me seven years to see your true colors. You hid it well.

　　My dad was wheeled into the emergency room, and my mom and I waited anxiously outside.

　　She looked at my face and cautiously asked, “Elaine, what are you going to do?”

　　The clock on the hospital wall showed it was eight o’clock.

　　All the other doctors had gone home, leaving only the ER doctors on duty.

　　“Mom, my relationship with him was a mistake. We can’t keep making the same mistake. When you hit a dead end, you turn around instead of banging your head against the wall.”

　　She understood what I meant and started crying softly.

　　I wouldn’t sacrifice my life or my unborn child for love. I’ve always been selfish.

　　Before today, everyone had been looking forward to this baby. Our hundreds of relatives were all waiting for our wedding invitations.

　　No one could have predicted things would turn out like this.

　　I woke up to the sound of footsteps and voices.

　　Last night, Mom and I had slept in the family lounge of the hospital’s VIP suite. She was already awake, taking care of Dad and letting me sleep a bit longer.

　　The room was in chaos.

　　When Ruth saw me come out of the inner room, she hurried over. “Elaine, Eric and I gave Brian a good scolding yesterday! He promised he wouldn’t see that woman again. Please, give him another chance.”

　　I looked around, but Brian wasn’t there. I cut Ruth off. “Where is Brian?”

　　Ruth fell silent.

　　Brian always prides himself on being a dutiful son, driving his parents everywhere they need to go. So why wasn’t he here when they arrived? The only explanation was that he was off dealing with something else at the hospital. I guessed he was with Mollie, probably taking her for a prenatal checkup.

　　Seeing my lack of reaction, Eric decided to lecture me. “You young folks just love to waste money. Even if you earn some, you can’t just throw it away like this!

　　“Staying in a room like this costs what, five or six hundred pounds a night? That money could be better spent buying Brian a fancy suit or getting Ruth a nice piece of diamond jewelry. Diamonds hold their value, you know!

　　“Elaine, let me give you some advice. When you marry into this family, you need to live frugally. Save up for your child’s future, like buying a house. If you can’t manage to save, give the money to Ruth to handle for you!”

　　Ruth, encouraged by Eric’s words, dropped any pretense of kindness. “Elaine, if you keep spending money like this, how will my son have any left? You’re just a spendthrift! If Brian hadn’t vouched for your hard work and resilience, I wouldn’t have approved of this relationship. Getting pregnant before marriage is something only shameless women do!”

　　Luckily, my dad was still unconscious, or his anger at Brian’s parents would have knocked him out again.

　　I remained expressionless, my voice icy. “First, I spend my own hard-earned money. Since Brian and I aren’t married, you have no right to lecture me. My parents haven’t said anything, so you definitely don’t get to.

　　“Second, I’m breaking up with Brian. Don’t ever interfere in my family’s life again.

　　“Third, you’d better focus on Mollie’s baby, because I’m arranging an abortion for mine.”

　　“Elaine Louis! Abortion? No way! You’re planning to get rid of the baby and then find another man, right? I won’t let you!” Brian’s furious voice echoed down the hallway, attracting the attention of patients and their families who peeked out to see the commotion.

　　Standing next to Brian was Mollie, just as petite and clingy as ever. But now, Brian didn’t push her away like he used to. They’d slept together several times, not bothering with protection, and she ended up pregnant. Of course, he was used to her by now.

　　Mollie spoke in a sweet, pleading voice, “Elaine, don’t throw a tantrum. I know I’m at fault here. I won’t compete with you for status. I’ll find somewhere else to raise this baby alone... I just want to have a child with Brian.”

　　Already feeling unwell that morning, her words pushed me over the edge. I couldn’t hold back the wave of nausea. In front of everyone, I vomited all over Brian.